Restraining order issued after text message prompts street attack

Tuesday 13 November 2018

A man who slapped a woman twice in the street, and threw her phone under a car during an argument over a text message, has been issued with a restraining order after the attack left the victim living "in fear" of him.

Danny Gordon Field (39), who was charged with common assault and malicious damage, was sentenced in the Magistrate's Court last week.

The attack took place on 9 October of this year in the area of Green Street heading towards Havre des Pas.

Police legal advisor Susie Sharpe said that Field was “calling [the woman] abusive names” before he “hit her to the face” and cut her lip with the slap. The court heard that he made continued threats to her and proceeded to slap her in the face a second time. 

The victim requested a restraining order on the day of the assault because, as Ms Sharpe told Court, “she remains in fear of what could happen if he has another mood swing as he did on the 9 October.”

Pictured: The Magistrate's Court heard that the assault left the victim "in fear", which prompted the Assistant Magistrate to grant a restraining order against Danny Gordon Field.

Defence Advocate Luke Sette said that his client “overreacted in these circumstances” and that the assault was “out of character”. Advocate Sette also made the case for a non-custodial sentence due to the fact that Field lives and works in England and intended to return to the UK as soon as he could.

The restraining order was subsequently granted by Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris, who commented: “I am satisfied that [the victim] is currently in fear.” 

Having heard both sides of the case, the Assistant Magistrate also imposed a binding over order, which means that this offence will impact sentencing should Field reoffend in Jersey.

After handing down his sentence, Assistant Magistrate Harris addressed Field: “No one’s stopping you from coming back to Jersey… please make sure that if you do, you go about things the right way.”